I changed the threshold to 2,500 BF to get more starters in the top 10; otherwise, with a 1,000 BF-minimum, the best 10 ERAs were all closers (and Jose Fernandez).There isn't as much a "typical" skillset for elite pitchers as there was for elite hitters. Their average is 55-60 (above-average to plus) in all components except $SO (or "stuff", which is plus to plus-plus) and $SA (which is average).
Kershaw, Sale, Strasburg, and the two closers (Papelbon and K-Rod) all had better than plus plus stuff ($SO). The two closers were also poor at holding runners ($SA and $SB in the 30s), which is to be expected. The Cardinals, Wainwright and Carpenter, had average stuff but were plus to plus-plus in two other key components - control ($BB) and keeping the ball in the yard ($HR).Carpenter was excellent at getting base-stealers thrown out (a $SB of 92). He had Yadier Molina his whole career from 2006 on, true, but then so did Wainwright ($SB of 65).Eight-tool pitchers - pitchers with at least a 50 in all eight components:

None of these pitchers had any real weakness. Justin Verlander is probably the most well-rounded pitcher of the last ten years, with no single skill scoring less than 51 or more than 59.Pitchers with the most "plus" (60 or better) tools:

I take that back: Jake deGrom is the most well-rounded pitcher in baseball - a plus at every skill except for preventing runners from attempting to steal (but even then he's plus-plus at getting those base-stealers caught). Papelbon is also plus at every batter-related component - again, his only weakness is holding runners.Four pitchers had four "plus plus" (70 or higher) components:

Now we have a completely different group of pitchers, each with a different set of skills. I should also point out, though, that all four of these pitchers faced less than 2,000 batters. Rates like $H haven't stabilized in that small of a sample size. The only pitcher with at least 2,000 BF and more than two plus-plus skills? Brandon League (70+ in $HR, $XBH, and $3B).

But again, all three pitchers had less than 1,500 BF. A.J. Griffin is a young starter who's probably been a little lucky at preventing hits and XBH. Kimbrel and Chapman have been arguably the two best closers in the game - their stuff is off the charts, and their ability to prevent XBH is also likely a real skill.